39 Questions
What is the purpose of the distinct terminology mentioned in the text?
To enable firefighters to refer to and communicate the risk associated with disorientation in a mutual language
What do the new terms mentioned in the text provide for firefighters?
Ability to understand different types of disorientation and how to avoid them
Why is it important to understand a building's structural design when assessing danger associated with structures involved in fire?
It serves as a major indicator of the amount of danger associated with the building
What are the five fundamental structural designs incorporated by buildings, as mentioned in the text?
Opened structures, opened structures with a basement, enclosed structures, enclosed structures with a basement, and high-rise hallways
What height is considered the threshold for a structure to be classified as 'enclosed'?
20 ft.
What is the rationale for retention of the current fall height criteria?
Risk associated with falls from structures
What is the equivalent of one story of a building in terms of fall height?
$10$ ft.
What percentage of victims who fell >20 ft suffered serious injuries according to the report?
$9.4$%
In what year was the fall height criterion for adults established as a component of the Decision Scheme?
$1986$
What is considered a potentially fatal fall for any firefighter who needs to make an emergency evacuation?
A fall of greater than 20 ft.
In what percentage of disorientation cases examined was there no sprinkler system in the structure or the system did not operate?
$90$%
What did the U.S. Fire Administration note about high-rise structures more than 20 years ago?
The danger associated with unprotected high-rise structures
What was documented about members of fire departments in New York during a working structure fire incident?
Two firefighters were forced to bail out from a second-story window and both survived.
What did NIOSH document about FDNY firefighters in 2005?
Two firefighters did not survive after jumping from fourth-floor windows.
What are some hazards that firefighters in opened structures face?
Prolonged zero-visibility conditions, flashover, backdraft
What type of structures lack operable sprinkler systems?
Opened structures
Which type of structure requires a worst-case scenario approach due to potential fire size and fuel loading?
Opened structures
What type of structures have a higher risk for firefighter fatalities than opened structures?
Enclosed structures
What size of structures are considered enclosed due to the difficulty in quick ventilation and evacuation during a worst-case scenario?
$100 ft. \times 100 ft.$ or greater
What are some hazards that firefighters face in enclosed structures?
Deep-seated working fires, heavy fuel loading, complex interior floor plans
What type of structures lack windows or doors for prompt ventilation and emergency evacuation?
Enclosed structures
What is a factor that determines firefighter survival according to the text?
Windows and doors availability
What can make structures enclosed and dangerous by preventing emergency evacuation during interior attacks?
Security bars and metal gates
In which type of structure are windows or doors available for prompt ventilation and emergency evacuation?
Opened structures
What type of environment do firefighters work in, according to the text?
$IDLH$ (immediately-dangerous-to-life-and-health) environments
What plays a role in disorientation and evacuation according to the text?
Presence or absence of windows or doors
What type of structures typically lack operable sprinkler systems?
Enclosed structures
What materials can be used to enclose windows or doors in architecturally designed or altered structures?
Plywood sheeting and brick and mortar
What was the cause of death for the three firefighters from engine company 11 in the Philadelphia high-rise building fire?
Running out of air in their SCBAs
What factor eventually stopped the fire in the high-rise building in Philadelphia?
Ten sprinkler heads activating on the 30th floor
What was the primary reason for the destruction caused by the high-rise fire in the First Interstate Bank building in Los Angeles?
Lack of an automatic sprinkler system
What did the incident involving the First Interstate Bank building demonstrate about high-rise buildings?
The absolute need for automatic sprinklers
What contributed to the firefighter fatality in Fall River, Massachusetts, despite the presence of an operable sprinkler system?
Blinding smoke and confusion from entangled hose
What was being installed at the First Interstate Bank building at the time of the fire?
An automatic sprinkler system
What was found on the 28th floor despite firefighters radioing that they were on the 30th floor during a high-rise building fire in Philadelphia?
Their bodies
What stopped a high-rise building fire when it reached a certain floor?
Fully sprinkled floors with activated sprinkler heads
What did a high-rise building constructed in 1973 lack at the time of a destructive fire?
Automatic sprinkler system
What was considered extremely dangerous during a fire according to incidents mentioned in the text?
Enclosed structures without an operable sprinkler system
What caused firefighter disorientation and fatality in Fall River, Massachusetts?
'Blinding smoke and confusion from entangled hose'
Study Notes
- Three firefighters from engine company 11 died in a high-rise building fire in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1991.
- They were attempting to ventilate the center stair tower, but became disoriented and ran out of air in their SCBAs.
- Their bodies were later found on the 28th floor, despite their radioing that they were on the 30th floor.
- An eight-member search team also ran out of air in the mechanical area on the 38th floor.
- The fire was eventually stopped when it reached the fully sprinkled 30th floor, and ten sprinkler heads activated at different points of fire penetration.
- The incident emphasized the danger and difficulties of managing operations in a dark, smoke-filled high-rise building.
- In 1988, the Los Angeles City Fire Department faced the most challenging and difficult high-rise fire in the city’s history.
- The fire, which originated on the 12th floor of the First Interstate Bank building, destroyed four floors and damaged a fifth floor.
- The fire claimed one life, injured 35 occupants and 14 fire personnel, and resulted in a property loss of over $5 million.
- The building, constructed in 1973, had no automatic sprinkler system, but one was being installed at the time of the fire.
- The decision was made to activate the system only upon completion of the entire project, leaving the valves controlling the sprinklers on completed floors closed.
- The incident demonstrated the absolute need for automatic sprinklers to provide protection for tall buildings.
- Enclosed structures without an operable sprinkler system are considered extremely dangerous during a fire.
- Even when protected by an operable sprinkler system, operations in an enclosed structure can be potentially fatal.
- An incident occurred in 1987 in Fall River, Massachusetts, where a firefighter died despite the presence of an operable sprinkler system.
- Firefighters became disoriented by the blinding smoke and confusion from entangled hose in the building.
- Numerous hazards were encountered in the large, three-story, enclosed structure involving a dye-processing facility.
- The seat of the fire was located only 20 ft. from the point of entry, but the hazards worked against the firefighters and contributed to the firefighter disorientation and fatality.
Test your knowledge of risk management in firefighter operations with this quiz. Learn about effective strategies for extinguishing structure fires and keeping firefighters safe.
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